Pettersson, Boeser no-show, power play cold, and more: 3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost 3-1 to Vegas Golden Knights

The Vancouver Canucks lost 3-1 to the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.

William Karlsson scored the game-winner at 3:44 of the third period. Brett Howden added an empty-netter to seal the victory. Alex Pietrangelo got the tying goal in the second period. Meanwhile, Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks.

Here’s a look at the three main reasons why the Vancouver Canucks were defeated on Thursday.

3 reasons why Vancouver Canucks lost to Vegas Golden Knights

#3 The Canucks power play could not be the difference-maker

In close games, a power play tally could be the difference between winning and losing. Unfortunately for the Canucks, they went 0-for-2 on Thursday.

Considering how close the game was, a goal on the power play could have resulted in a different ending. However, Vancouver failed to score, leaving two crucial points on the table.

#2 The Canucks could not support Kevin Lankinen

With a string of strong starts from Thatcher Demko, the Canucks turned to Kevin Lankinen to give him a much-needed break.

Lankinen did not disappoint. He made 18 saves on 20 shots to keep Vancouver in the game. However, the team could not support Lankinen’s strong efforts.

Notably, the Canucks ran into an equally strong goaltender in Adin Hill who stopped 20 of 21 shots.

Given that both netminders played well, the difference boiled down to which team’s top players came through. The Golden Knights' stars stepped up for the win.

#1 Canucks stars continue to be a no-show

Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and Jake DeBrusk were no-shows. The lack of offense from the Canucks’ top forwards has become a concerning trend. Pettersson has not recorded a point in his last five games and has managed just eight shots.

Boeser has only scored one goal in his last five outings. Considering that he is playing for a new contract, his lack of production is surprising.

Vancouver is 4-3-3 in its last 10 games. With the Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings and Knights all playing well, the Canucks could risk falling behind in the Pacific Division, leaving them to fight with four other teams for the two wildcard spots in the Western Conference.

Vancouver will be back in action on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators at home, where they'll aim to snap a two-game losing skid.